Gone to the Dogs

I guess they needed a brother

This is a horse blog, but I have dogs too. Cute ones who are well trained and good to be around. If you've been here a while, you're familiar with Lewis the giant corgi and Chaucer the beagle.

They are great. They get along well, they're happy to hang out, they know our routines, all that. I like having two dogs. It is the most dogs I have ever had and I think it is plenty.

little brown dog

Fun fact: we are super short handed at my job right now, so instead of normal office flunky/other duties as assigned, lately it's been all "other duties aka field work" and yeah, when you work in construction, that shit is hard work.

Regardless. I show up at the jobsite on Monday and there is a random little brown dog running around. No one knows where he came from, the jobsite is right off a busy highway, and we're running heavy equipment all over the place. It's no place for a dog.

The construction dog

I do the grown adult thing and call animal control. He's a cool little dog and I feel bad for him. I'd love to go knock on some doors on find his owners (who must be frantic), but that whole work thing was getting in the way. I left my number with the super nice AC officer just in case, but he was way too cool a dog to be alone.

Or so I thought.

After the requisite three days, I get a call from the nice AC officer telling me the brown dog was abandoned and no one is looking for him. And she picked up another one just like him the same day, like someone dumped littermates.

and he cuddles like a champ

Ugh. I told her to list him with the local rescues and see what happens, but I also poked around local rescue websites and discovered that they were all full.

And the poor guy had just been dumped on a busy highway, then locked up in doggy jail.

And my husband is as big a softie as I am and said I could do whatever I wanted.

I called Animal Control again, just sure that someone had snapped him up or claimed him, but the little guy was  hanging out at the pound.

And so I took a long lunch and drove up and got him.




I initially thought he was housebroken and about a year old. I now think he's a puppy puppy, like under six months :-/ eek! Long time since I have had one of those. Best guess is that he's a dachshund/chihuahua cross, which sounds horrific. Thus far, he's been calm and quiet and puppyish, but not bad. We're crate training and potty training and he's integrating into my little pack well.

I'm still picking out a name. No clue on that one. The vet laughed when I made an appointment for "unknown breed and age, name Brown Dog".

I didn't want three dogs, but how do you say no when they find you?

Ammy Hour: Meet Elena!!

Here's the latest installment of Ammy Hour. I love to run this series because I get to learn about so many cool and interesting people and the way they manage real life with horses. I know it's a slow news two weeks because of the holidays, but I have a great interview with yet another cool adult amateur!

Elena blogs over at Out of the Box, where she keeps up with two OTTBs and has possibly the coolest wedding photos of all time. (Why hasn't a horse blog run a 'cool wedding photos' post? I should do that. I love pictures!)

Anyways. Elena is another adult amateur making a go of it and here is how she answers the questions that life throws at her:




1) You’re at dinner with work colleagues. How do you introduce yourself?  Hi, I'm Elena. This is my husband George. Yes, I know, we got married young. Yes, I also know I look just like Jennifer Lawrence.

2) But what you really meant to say was this: Hi, nice to meet you. Would you like to see some pictures of my pets? No, oh ok. I guess I don't really have anything to talk to you about then...I'll be heading to the barn now!








3) Tell us about your horse(s): The Great Gatsby, "Gatsby", is a 17 y/o OTTB who I bought back in 2006. He is kind of crazy but also ridiculously amazing. He LOVES cross-country and pretty much any jumping in general. Not so crazy about dressage but is pretty darn good at it when he pays attention! He loves peppermints and licking my hands. We have a very strong bond but he also has a strong independent streak and may have been tagged by some as arrogant.

Chi-Town, "Kanye", is a 2 y/o TB with no race training. He is still growing and we are still getting to know each other but so far he pretty much seems like a puppy in horse form. Nothing bothers him and he would just like to be next to me at all times.  












4) How did you meet him/her? I met Gatsby when I was 16. I had finally come to terms that my lovely 14.3hh QH mare wasn't going to be my superstar eventer so we decided to put her on the market and start looking for something else. I went through thousands (or so it seemed) videos and ads but Gatsby was actually the first horse I sat on. It was pretty much love at first site when I saw him in the cross-ties. He was 100% nutso and absolutely the wrong horse for me but the more I heard that the more I loved him and, as you can see, it's turned out pretty well!

Also met the dog

I stumbled across Kanye when I was window shopping the SoCal CANTER listings. I was totally not in the market for a new horse but absolutely adored his photos and pretty much had to have him. So far so good on that one!

5) What have you done together? Gatsby and I have competed up through Training level eventing together and schooled Prelim. Kanye and I have gone on many walks together and attempted to lunge.







6) Where are you going together? Right now Gatsby is rehabbing a minor tendon injury. I would really love to be able to compete him at least one more time to be able to enjoy cross-country with him again. In my heart of hearts I also have a, fairly unlikely, dream of taking him to an FEI event one day.
Kanye is still growing up. I plan on starting him sometime next year and seeing how he does but my hope is that he will be a fantastic eventer also.



7) How do you finance the addiction? I have been lucky enough to have a father who was willing and able to finance the addiction from the start. He supported my riding completely until about 2 years ago when we discussed it and thought at that point it made more sense for me to be responsible for it. Generous as ever though, he gifted me a portion of his ownership in a company he jointly owns to assist me in getting by. This still puts me on a pretty tight budget for my boys but I am forever grateful to my dad for making it possible for me to keep them as an adult.

8) How often do you ride? I try to ride about 4-5 days a week but unfortunately my work schedule often gets in the way and I'll be lucky to get 3 rides in.

9) What’s the single biggest thing that helps you achieve your goals? The support of my dad and my husband are hugely helpful but I also like to think that I am a pretty stubborn and motivated person.



10) If there was one thing you could say to people getting ready to join the ranks of riding (or re-riding) adults, what would it be? Prepare to sleep A LOT less. I don't know about everyone else but often the only time I have to ride is before work which means getting up before 6am and then returning home after 7pm.





11) What are your horse keeping arrangements? Gatsby lives at a fantastic facility in Santa Barbara. It's got all the facilities we need plus really amazing care and some great people to ride with. They've got stalls and paddocks but I was lucky enough to snag a situation where he lives out 24/7 with the owners retired mare. Kanye lives at my house in our paddock with our retired QH mare. We have the option to open the paddocks up to the trails and let the horses wander and graze which I'd like to try in the summer but it depends on how our other horses are with him.

12) What is/are your long term equine goals? I think I have pretty much the same ultimate dream as every other eventer stateside, to compete at Rolex Kentucky. More realistically, I would be beyond stoked to compete at an FEI event and do decently.












13) Bottom Line: Riding is my passion. There have been times when I've though about how much easier things would be if I gave it up but when it comes down to it, it's definitely one of the most important things in my life. I wouldn't be happy without my horses and I definitely wouldn't be me without riding.

Product Review: Smartpak Piper Kneepatch Breeches

Smartpak Piper Breeches
List price: $79.95
What I paid: $65.00ish

Since I have a horse to ride again, I thought it was worth my time to own more than one pair of breeches. I have a pair of Rompf kneepatch breeches that I love, but they run about $100 a pair and my local store was out. Instead of getting more of the same, I decided to try the Pipers because they were so well-reviewed in the blogosphere. It helped that Smartpak was running a 20% off promotion and that I qualified for free shipping by buying two pairs.

What I think:
I've waited to write this review because I like to put products to the test before I say too much about them. I purchased them back in August and have a solid month's abuse on both pairs now, so I think I can talk freely.

For $60, I think they're alright. They fit me well, but I am long waisted, so the higher rise actually suits me perfectly. I absolutely love the sock bottoms (no annoying velcro, huzzah!). Either I have freakishly narrow ankles or the sock bottoms are cut pretty wide, because they're loose on me.

I've gotten plenty of compliments on how they look, especially the tan pair with the teal contrast stitching. The belt loops are wide enough to accommodate a 1" to maybe a 1.5" belt. The material is soft and stretchy. I don't think it holds everything in place as well as my thicker and a bit stiffer Rompfs, but it's still respectable. They probably won't be great cold weather breeches, but they are great for summer.

They have held their shape well, and I don't feel like anything is out of place at the end of another long day in the sun. 

Except...

Here's what I don't like:

Cuz that feels really good

The top of the breeches close with two hooks (fine). However, the inside of the loops are inside the breeches, meaning that the metal is cutting into my stomach. That's fine on dress pants, since no one actually does anything in them, but for athletic wear? Ouch. In addition, there is a seam on the outside of the lower leg in both colorways that digs into my skin. My half chaps are pretty loose, but when it's hot, my legs hurt when I take these breeches off, from that seam. That puts them into a tricky weather category--too lightweight of fabric to wear when it's cold, but they take your skin off when it's hot.

I should add that I use the snot out of breeches. I probably spend the least amount of time in them riding--I run errands, feed horses, clean stalls, buck hay, and scrub water tanks. To their credit, they haven't stained or looked ratty, but I noticed that they take snags a lot easier than makes me comfortable as far as long term use is concerned.

The Final Outcome: 

That said, for the casual rider (or someone who only wears breeches to ride, then changes to do chores), they are a great choice for any budget. 


Noted: I was in no way compensated to write this and I had to buy the breeches on my own. I'm simply sharing information to benefit the blogger community.

Also noted: If you want to compensate me to write something, let's chat.

Ammy Hour: Meet Kate!!

Here we go again! I want to continue to spotlight adult amateurs who love horses and how they make it work. We all know the challenges of horse involvement--time, money, stress, life, etc. Here's a look at how Kate from the Adventures of Lucy tackles full time work and one very special mare. 

1) You’re at dinner with work colleagues. How do you introduce yourself?
I've been working at my current job for about six months but I made quick work of the social scene and feel pretty comfortable around my work colleagues, so I'd just say, hey guys! I am kind of an introvert but work very hard to hide it. If I am at work and meet someone I don't know, I walk right up to them and shake their hand even though I really don't want to!

2) But what you really meant to say was this: 

"Where's the menu?" (what can I say, I love food)

3) Tell us about your horse: 

Lucy is my 6yo OTTB mare. I got her as a 3yo almost fresh off the track. She had no idea what leg meant and didn't know how to steer, if that's any indication of what I had to work with :D She is either a total sweetheart or a complete nut job...good thing she's really pretty and very talented. She is the definition of a pro ride and I am absolutely NOT a pro, so we do the best we can! Some days it isn't pretty but we do have moments of glory.

4) How did you meet him/her?

She belonged to a 15 year old girl who had no idea what she was doing with her. In fact, she was downright petrified of her, which is kind of ironic because at the time, she hadn't put a foot wrong! She was just huge and gawky, and had zero training since retiring from racing. Anyway, this girl had gotten her off the track and then didn't really do much with her. Lucy dropped a huge amount of weight and condition and by the time I met her in October of 2009, she looked like she needed a major upgrade, and fast. The whole reason I met her, though, was that I was trying to start a little photography business so I had advertised free sessions for people who would be willing to let me use the images to promote my business. Lucy's owner responded, and I went out to photograph her other horse. After I was finished, she mentioned she had this thoroughbred that she had just gotten and asked me if I wanted to meet her. At that point she had been off the track just a couple months and looked a little thin, but nothing alarming. She was very cute but at the time, she wasn't for sale so that was really the end of it! In November I started looking for my own horse after leasing horses my whole life, and the girl contacted me to tell me she wanted to sell Lucy. I was originally shopping for a horse between the ages of 5 and 10 that had a good foundation (and I love chestnut geldings so that was what I had in mind!). The owner was persistant, though, and I ended up trying her one night in the dark in an outdoor with no fence around it in the middle of the woods in a rural town with more cows than humans. The horse had no clue what I was asking, but she was so sweet and so honest, and wasn't bothered about all the other horses getting fed while she was out working in the ring. I fell in love with her (and also felt compelled to buy her because by then, she looked like CRAP and the situation she was in was not a good one). She passed a vet check that cost me more than her purchase price that weekend, and came home the next day!

5) What have you done together?

Well, the first year or so was challenging because she had ulcers and I kept procrastinating getting them diagnosed because I wasn't sure if it was really ulcers or not. I finally got her scoped and then she went through a month of treatment. I wish I had done that right off the bat because maybe that first year wouldn't have been so, um, painful! I got tossed many many times. Then we dealt with saddle fit issues, then crazy heat cycles, but after a whole lot of chiro and saddle fitter visits, and some mare supplements, we finally got on the right track.

By year two, I had learned how to sit the buck/scoot/spin/leap and we were making some progress. We went to some hunter paces, started trail riding (and she loved it!), and even did a little hunter show in the summer. Winter came, and "Winter Lucy", as I like to call her alter ego, returned with much fanfare. She was kind of a huge psycho. We both made it through, though!

This year was the best by far. I have always wanted try eventing and this year we finally got out there and did it! We had so much fun and Lucy was GREAT. She hates dressage, so that is what we really need to work on, but she is a super jumper and very brave XC. We kept it very simple, showing in the "Elementary" division at unrated events, but my main goal was for her not to be overfaced, and to have fun! She is still extremely challenging on some days, but I treat each day like a brand new book, and never hold yesterday against her, no matter how bad she was.

6) Where are you going together? 

Umm, some days, I feel like we're heading right for the edge of a very tall cliff. But other days, I see glimmers of hope and think that we could go quite far. I don't think she would have any problems doing the upper levels with the right rider, but I am not that brave! If we got around BN safely I would be thrilled. I think Novice would be the furthest I would go.

7) How do you finance the addiction? 

I have a wonderful full-time job that I get paid well for, but I work extremely hard. I also run a design business on the side, making customized ornaments, painting saddle pads, doing logo and web design, etc. I work constantly! I also rough-board to keep costs down. My day starts at about 6am and ends at about 9. Here's my typical day: I get up, get ready for work, go to the barn in heels and a skirt, exchange my heels for my muck boots, clean my stall, put my heels back on, go to work for 8 hours, go back to the barn, change into riding clothes, ride, cool the horse out and put her away, feed the rest of the horses (it's a co-op; my job is afternoon chores and feeding), go home, walk the dog, make dinner, take care of any design work that needs to be done, snuggle the hubby, collapse.

8)  How often do you ride? 

I try to ride at least 5 days a week. If I don't, I usually have a crazy horse to deal with. But there are weeks where I just don't have the energy to ride every night, so she either gets the day off or I will give her a good grooming, or lunge in side reins. Some days we go for a walk in the woods, me leading her instead of riding. For two and a half years, I had the most wonderful woman half leasing Lucy but she recently bought her own horse so it's all on me now!

9) What’s the single biggest thing that helps you achieve your goals? 

Well, my husband is extremely supportive of my insanity and I also really never give up on anything. There were days that I fell off twice in one ride because she was just being so outrageous, but I always, ALWAYS get back on unless there are extenuating circumstances. What can I say, I am as stubborn as my horse is.

10) If there was one thing you could say to people getting ready to join the ranks of riding (or re-riding) adults, what would it be? 

Horses are truly a passion! If they're in your blood, you can't avoid it :D Being an equestrian is part of who I am. Even if I sell Lucy eventually, I will still always be a horsewoman and I am sure I will always be involved in horses in some way. It's such a fun sport with many many different ways to get involved. There is something for everyone.

11) Bottom line:

Horses keep you humble and if you don't have a sense of humour, things are going to be tough! But overall: 1. I'm bonkers. 2. so is my horse. 3. we're kind of perfect for each other!!

Kate and Lucy are a fun pair to keep up with, and if you hadn't noticed, Kate has an appreciation for fine photography, so definitely check them out if you're not friends already.

I'm definitely inspired by the people I'm interacting with putting this series together. There are so many cool ways to connect with horses and the effort to stay engaged when the parental paycheck is gone is fun to explore. Want to be a part of the series? Know someone who should be? Contact me either by email (on the contact us page) or through the comments.

Don't forget!! We're closing in on the last days to enter the 'Tis the Season photo contest. Entries close at midnight on 12/31. There's a cool prize and you'll get featured here, so send your entry in today! 

Ammy Hour: Meet Nicku!!

It's time for a new series! I want to spotlight some adult ammies and how they make it work with horses. Let's face it: we all know the challenges. We all know what gets in the way. Here are some people who do the horse thing, the life thing, and still have to pay the bills.Without further ado, meet Nicku of the Polka Dot Periodical. I've always admired her--she balances a passionate horsey love and mad skills with a real person job, while being very social and staying involved with her church. She's never mentioned having a superwoman cape, so she's going to kick off our series in which we explore just how a successful adult ammy makes everything work.

1) You’re at dinner with work colleagues. How do you introduce yourself? I love working full time so very much, there's no where else I'd rather be tonight than this! Oh, what do I normally do after work? I ride horses. English style, no that's not the saddle with the horn, jumping colored poles, you've seen that on TV probably when you watched the Olympics this summer, no? But enough about me, did someone order wine yet?
 
2) But what you really meant to say was this: If I could make money in horses, you bet your bottom that's what I'd be doing, but since that's nearly impossible to do here in Northern CA and not live out of my horse trailer I work my tail off so that I can afford to own a horse, take lessons and compete here and there. I actually am at the barn for at least 2 hours a night after work while you're home eating a nice dinner and watching American Idol with your kids, I am (and always have been) an Eventer, I jump stuff on my young horse that I trained myself that is solid and scary at high rates of speed, you'd actually think I was insane if you saw it. 
 
3) Tell us about your horse: Pongo is a 16.3, 6 year old, LOUD leopard Appaloosa gelding out of the Confetti Farms line of eventing appies. He's competed BN eventing successfully and schools at Novice/Training level. He's snuggly, sassy, bossy, proud, brave, smooth, smart and just all around fun to look at and be around. TOTAL momma's boy. Definitely not a beginner's ride, but he's appropriate to my level of riding experience. 
 
4) How did you meet him/her? We met in upstate New York in September of 2007. I found him on dreamhorse.com. It was true love at first sight. He was 1 year old and had an incredible presence about him that was so fun. He galloped full-tilt around his paddock, tail flipped over his back like an Arabian showing off and jumped a bush for absolutely no reason, that's when I knew, he HAD to come home with me immediately. I remember my parents asked me "...and what exactly are you going to do with a yearling stud?", I said, "I have no idea, thank goodness I have a few years to figure it out, eh?!"
 
5) What have you done together? Pongo and I just do life together. Having him since he was a baby meant I really never had an agenda for him. I always wanted him to tell me what he wanted to do versus me tell him what to do with his life. I got lucky though and the eventing genes from his granddaddy are strong, he is a cross country machine! We've competed BN eventing, schooled through Training Level, jump ~3'-3'3" at home and at jumper shows too on occasion, we do a lot of natural horsemanship work and love a good trail ride. Some of our highlights this year were getting a 29.5 in dressage at our last show (earning us 1st place out of 17 riders), schooling Training Level cross country jumps and clinicing with two-time Olympian Hawley Bennett. 

Kypped from recent youtube vid

 
6) Where are you going together? This year, Novice level, possibly Training by end of year. I would really like to do a Training 3 day on him maybe in 2014, but I have a super busy, full-time professional job, 45 minute commute to work both ways, wedding coming up August 2013 and God willing, we really want to have kids in the next couple of years. I try not to make too many plans in my equestrian life and just take what comes, I only have one Pongo and I really want him to last a long time for me, I just love riding him so much, so we're just going to see where the road takes us, no rush! 
 
7) How do you finance the addiction? I am blessed to have a good paying job. But, that is really a result of my Dad teaching me that to have horses, I'd better have a solid career, so I had to focus on school and work 100% for a few years and not own a horse. I had to catch ride/take group beginner lessons (OUCH to the prelim rider ego), do whatever I could to ride on the cheap/free until my paycheck was big enough to afford to lease and then eventually own a horse again. Even then, that meant buying a nice baby horse in 2007 and waiting *patiently* for him to grow up/be the trained horse I always wanted. I also am marrying the most wonderful man who has his act together and is extremely supportive of the horse addiction both emotionally and financially. I ask for evententries.com gift certificates and other various horse things at every holiday. My parents are trained that Pongo gets a Christmas gift every year :P This year he asked for a Back on Track blanket.
 
8) How often do you ride? 2-3 days during the week and 1 weekend day usually, then my trainer rides Pongo 1 day a week
 
9) What’s the single biggest thing that helps you achieve your goals? Keeping my goals very flexible and reasonable. 
 
10) If there was one thing you could say to people getting ready to join the ranks of riding (or re-riding) adults, what would it be?  Buy, or ride a horse that is appropriate to your current skill level (take an excellent cue from Aimee and snatch up the oldie, but goodie schoolmaster, have some dang fun, get your confidence sky high). If you work and ride, you probably (honestly) cant afford to fall off and get really injured riding a flighty horse or a project horse. I've had a few little things happen here and there and it is miserable trying to focus at work after a concussion, or sit in a meeting with a stiff back from getting bucked off. Safety first - and that means being properly matched with the right horse, doing activities that are appropriate to your level and working with a trainer who can help you. As a result of my falls I really dont ever ride other people's horses that often or horses I am unfamiliar with - I just cant risk something happening to me and it affecting my job/livelihood.
 

11) Bottom Line: Dont get caught up in what everyone else at your barn, or on the blogs are doing (I mean for reals, how DO THEY go to EVERY SINGLE EVENT offered and every clinic and schooling and not go broke?). Own it that being an adult-ammie rider, especially one who has to work full time, means you probably arent going to play by the same rules as someone who doesnt work, or has oodles of disposable income and that's OK. You'll probably always be either short on time or money or if you're like me, both time AND money AND oh yeah, most days energy too...but that doesnt diminish your passion and ability to excel at the sport. Do what you can each day (whether that's having a great lesson, or just realizing you need a night at home with no riding because work kicked your butt) and if you feel like it wasnt enough, try again tomorrow or the next day! Always go at your own pace, this is supposed to be fun, right? Oh and wear your helmet, every single ride, no exceptions. 

 

Many thanks to Nicku for taking the time to share! 

Any tips? Special ways you make it work? Things you have to give up? Want to be the next featured ammy? Hit me up in the comments or through our contact me page (just under the header). 

PS Don't forget to enter our contest!! Entries are open through 12/31.

Thermalicious

I know, I know. Terrible post name. I already wrote one blog about it though... ;-) Details to follow.

We had a fun (mostly) and (relatively) non-eventful drive down. We saw pretty much every kind of weather possible--sun, rain, snow, hail, clouds, fog. The snow was actually in southern California, which did not make me happy. Fortunately, it passed and I am now in lovely, sunny temperatures. It was 70ish today and is supposed to get warmer throughout the week. I have to admit, I giggle when the people from here walk by in parkas--I was a little warm in a long sleeve shirt.

As groom, I have gotten to do lots of washing, walking, holding, tacking, cleaning, and observing. You should be impressed at how clean Ms. Tatiana is.

Although to be honest, it wasn't me that washed her. I got Foster the spotty boy with his yellowed hocks and a whole bottle of quiksilver.

I am drinking in the atmosphere of HITS-Thermal. It's definitely the biggest, fanciest, coolest horse show I've ever been at. I like wandering between the rings and down the aisles (generally while hunting for something someone told me about and I'm unclear on what I'm supposed to be doing) and just seeing the sites.

Hopefully, I'm actually being a little bit useful on top of the ridiculous number of pictures I'm taking. My facebook activity got me a promotion from "groom" to "groom and person with Steph's phone" so that instead of just taking pictures and putting them on my facebook, I can add them to the 'Wasatch Sport Horses' group and all the friends and clients can see them, instead of just my friends.

Social media in my job description? Excellent. Now I just need to get paid to wander through the vendor village and touch expensive things. THEY HAVE SADDLE MAKERS HERE. ALSO REAL TACK STORES. (*^&$* you bloody overpriced feed store in ********).

We had two horses in the Grand Prix ring today, which was super fun (aside from their rather ridiculous Romeo-and-Juliet romance, which was completely contrived).

I'm relatively sure that three of the horses are competing tomorrow. While you are at your super exciting day jobs, think of me as I suffer through the vendor village and hack a jumper through a citrus orchard. Really, I don't know how I can take it.

Mighty Irish

Stephanie's out of town to teach a clinic, so I thought I would just breeze through morning chores at the barn.

Feed? Check.
Rinse buckets and prepare beetpulp? Check.
Begin morning turnouts? Check.
Pull manes and touch-up clip all horses going to Galway on Monday?

Nuts.

I got it (mostly) done, but it took a while. Thankfully, I really like pulling manes. The two horses I did not have to do are the lovely Irish chaps. Now, anyone who knows about my equine preferences knows I hate Irish horses. It may be because they make me insecure, but they're just so bullheaded and sensitive and intelligent and cold blooded and I don't really like anything about them. I don't mind watching other people ride them, but I have never wanted to ride one myself.

So here they are:

This is Vivika, a 3 year old Irish mare. I hate greys and I hate Irish, but she is pretty sweet. Since she's three, Galway isn't in her future this year, and I did not pull her mane, though I suspect she will get tidied up next time I have free time. Lovely.








And here is Foster. He's very flashy and fancy and is a big, dumb love. I did his mane yesterday, because he is most definitely Galway-bound.

He's basically the size of a tank. You know how you can usually pull the bottom of a horse's mane just fine but need a stool to reach the top? Yeah, I need the stool to reach the bottom of his mane. For serious.

He's also roughly as wide as he is tall, and none of it is fat.



FEED FOSTER NOMS!!!

He likes his cookies.

Wherein I Fall in Love

For the record: my life is amazing. Yes, I'm beyond busy and barely have time to sit down (shhhh, I'm working) but OMG I have a pony and a pony job and a real job and everything is awesome.

My official duties as barn worker are getting squared away. I'm responsible for turnout, grooming, feeding, and morning blanket changes. I also do other things as needed.

Today was brilliant. Stephanie told me yesterday that we were going trotting, which meant that I would be on someone other than Izzy, since she hasn't moved in yet. I told myself I was excited for a chance to ride a fancy trained horse and not terrified because they're all a bit nutty and we would be on a trail up a mountain.

Here's the horse I rode:

This is Zymon. He's a 6 year old mutt gelding who is training to be Stephanie's personal horse (I think). Mutt is technically defined as American Warmblood Something x Appendix. Despite his breeding, he is a lovely mover and quite sweet.

Also, he's flipping awesome on trails. This is important because 1) I am not and 2) trails in Idaho are fairly strenuous. Seriously. We rode up a mountain, down the other side, back up, and down again. It's trot sets, Idaho-style.

Despite being a cute young greenie, Zymon boldly lead the way most of the time. He's opinionated and egotistical and completely adorable. He's kind of like a corgi, minus the funny conformation. Dare I say it? Izzy has a small reason to be jealous, at least until he pulls a stupid gelding stunt. I must say, it was the most fun trail ride and/or trot sets I have -ever- done.

He had one semi-big spook right before we got on the trail at some birds flying up, but between my full seat breeches, his easy movement, and the completely amazing saddle I was riding on (custom CWD jump saddle. OMG), it was no big deal.

Why it's a bad idea for a tack whore to intern with a trainer with a lot of nice tack is a whole 'nother story for a different post. Wow.

First Day on the Job

I have committed a serious blogger faux pas--I started my new and pretty danged awesome job this morning and I took no pictures. Oops.

Also, I tried Izzy's old winter blanket that she hasn't worn since she was 5 on her last night. It barely buckled and her tummy hung out below it. Awesome. Unfortunately, it was also stupid cold last night, so she had to wear it anyways. Again, no pictures.

So here's the basic rundown. It was 22f this morning (ack!! cold!), so I didn't even have to be at the barn until 8.30am. Whoa, way late. I even got dinner in the slow cooker and housework done before I left. We started out by setting a full jump course in the upper arena. That is a quick way to warm up--solid wood poles and standards are heavy.

After that, I got to move tack trunks around (whee!) and alternately turn horses out, bring them in, and tack them up for Stephanie to ride. This is like the horse job from heaven--I do not have to clean stalls. As a person who's spent more than half of my life shoveling manure, I really enjoy this perk. Thus far, they have mostly been pleasant, well behaved creatures, so I'm hoping that stays as is as much as possible.

Also, I may be riding an actual horse tomorrow. It's been a really, really long time since I've ridden any horse other than Ms. Mare, so we'll see how that goes.

Exciting News Part Deux

Oh boy. It's not quite as cool as Solo's Mom's Big News (capitalized for a reason), but it's still cool.

I so have a job(-ish thing) with my eventing trainer. Wheeee!!! Izzy and I are moving (temporarily) to her base camp barn from Nov 1 through May. The link is here (but you have to swear not to stalk me in a creepy way). I confess, I've never actually been out there, but it has a reasonably good reputation, and where we'll be doing our own turnout and such, I'm sure it will be fine.

On the other hand, I'll probably go out and oogle it soon. Oooooh. Bouncy bouncy so exciting.

PS Had a great lesson today. Sorry, no pictures other than this:

Izzy munching a variety of weeds while waiting for our friend with a trailer to have her lesson.

An Exciting Idea

Izzy and I had a fabulous(!!!) jump ride this morning, but that's not actually what I'm here to talk about. Instead, we're talking barns and trainers.

Specifically, my eventing trainer who I LOVE, is actually spending the winter in my town, instead of her home base which is two hours away or her usual winter in sunny AZ. I am beyond excited about this and was hoping to get in on some lessons and make serious progress with Izzy.

Then I found out that she's actually going to base her operations out of a barn on the opposite side of the valley from me, which is fine if we're just finagling a trailer ride once or twice a month. However...

I saw this as a golden opportunity. Her working students are back in school and most of her clientele have actual jobs. That means... hm... she might need help around the barn, which would be a fabulous learning opportunity for the quasi-employed me. I emailed about it (since I deal better with text rejection instead of verbal), and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! I get to be her stall cleaner! Ok, officially, she said she would have room for someone with my talents, I believe.

Problem: Izzy is on the opposite side of the valley.

Sooo. Either I move her to the trainer's base barn for 6 months, which is about $100/month more or I leave her there and do with her what I can.

Pros to moving:

Trainer on site

Lessons on site

Conditioning on site

Learning oodles

Cons to moving:

Temporary

Expensive

We LOOOVE our current barn

Obviously, this is all still up in the air. If I'm going to be at trainer's barn 1x a week, there is zero reason to move Izzy and pay extra. If I'm going to be there 5x a week, it would be stupid not to move her for the time being. Those details will have to be worked out...

Big decisions. It's insane to leave a barn we're completely happy at, but it's also insane to pass up a chance like this. Wish us luck (and money!)

All the Change is Scaring Me

Ok, you may or may not have noticed this, but I tend to be an introvert. I don't just go up to people and ask for stuff. I know what I want, but I don't like to be pushy about it, especially with people I don't know.

For example: I rode Izzy last night and she was a total snot about her left lead. Why? Because she hadn't been ridden at all since Wednesday. This is a direct result of me having to clean every day and then having to go do other stuff, so I didn't have the time. The obvious solution and the one that my husband and I have talked through several times (for my benefit, not his) is for me to quit cleaning and just pay board. I had already decided that I was going to be done at the end of the month, but I felt so bad about it that I didn't even want to tell Cathy even though I NEED to because she then NEEDS to find someone to take my place. Besides, I'd already hinted that was what I would do, so it's not like it comes as a surprise.

So I did it. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but she was expecting and already has someone lined up to take over most of my days. Yay! Good ending. I am officially done as a barn worker (for now) on Thursday, September 30th.

In other news... I'm still scouting barns. Over the weekend, I spent time driving around where I'd like to keep Izzy. (It's close-ish to my house and irrigated.) I actually found some promising stuff. Now I need to start calling people.

Have I mentioned that I'm an introvert and I LOATHE AND DESPISE calling people? I don't know why this is so hard for me.

Wish me luck. I'm still holding out for a big green pasture, shelter for my horse, and maybe even access to an indoor arena.

Working Out Issues

I had a brilliant ride this morning. Picture me saying that with a British accent and we'll be on the same page.

Since Izzy's back at the old barn with no turnout, I lunged her for a long time. She needs it. She's a horse that really and truly needs turnout. With it, she's as calm and mellow as she could possibly be. Without, she's a nutjob. I try to compromise; I turn her out in the arena when possible (but that's only about 20-30 minutes at a time) and I lunge before every ride. My lunging is not structured; it's just for her to blow off steam.

So anyways. After lunging, I hopped on and off we went. Izzy was really quite good. We worked on maintaining a steady contact and me riding her up to it from her hind end. (Yay! She's doing really well.) She seems to be figuring out that I'm serious about it, so she's been a lot better about it.

Next we worked on a jumping exercise. It looked like this:

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Yep. A single trot pole. We trotted over it both directions until we could both do it calmly and in balance without rushing off afterward. Then we cantered over it both directions. My goal was to begin to train myself to see a distance. (And since it's a pole, no one cares if I screw up.) It was a whole new experience for me, but I got Izzy to canter to it and put her front legs on one side with her hind on the other. It took a bit for me to start saying "Ok, push for this one" or "I need to hold for that" and I have a LONG way to go, but I definitely felt like it was a start.

We finished by trotting a small course of trot poles. It was a pretty illogical course, but I was more worried about rhythm, softness, and direction and less worried about the flow of the course. Izzy did quite nicely through it all.

In other news... School has started here, which means that Cathy lost two of her morning cleaners. It affects me in that she wants me to pick up the extra hours. I don't want to, but I understand she is in a genuinely tight spot. HOWEVER, the life skill I am working on right now is making good decisions to reduce stress levels in my life. It is NOT a good decision to take on more hours when I'm already irritated about working too much to board at a place with no turnout, no shelters, and no indoor. So. I thought about it. And I said this, "Well, if you're willing to ride Izzy (full training) for a month, I'll take the hours for a month. We can figure something out after that." **

I know you're all proud of me for standing up and saying what I thought, but it gets better. Cathy sort of hemmed and hawed about time and then said something like, "Well, I guess if I'm cleaning, then I'm also not riding." Notice how I did not just back down and say, "Oh. I'm so sorry that would be an inconvenience. Nevermind."

That is what insecure teenage me would have said. Starting to grow up me is thinking that it makes more financial and equine sense to move Izzy somewhere she'd be happier and just have me pick up a few more hours at a non-horsey job to pay for it. And honestly, as much as I like and respect Cathy as a trainer and a person, I'm not willing to continue this arrangement forever. Izzy needs turnout. I need a trainer who can give me lessons reliably and will say no to other people instead of just saying yes to everyone and me getting pushed aside. Insecure me would say, "Well, they're paying and I'm just a working student." Growing up me says, "I'm providing you with a valuable service and I am worth your time."

We'll see where this goes. I'm intrigued by the idea of actually just paying board every month and letting someone else muck stalls. Of course I'll still be hands-on with Izzy's care, but I'm kind of over this whole thing I'm doing now.

**If I take on the extra hours, I will be responsible for the morning cleaning (and usually feeding) of 22 horses 5x a week. That's at least 20 hours a week and it more than pays for full training every month, I'm pretty sure. Oh, and I make more at my other jobs than I do there...